The Rence Companion

Once there was a wealthy merchant who was often absent from his Homestone for many months at a time. He would Companion a lady the night before he would set off on a lengthy trade route and very often would return to find his companion ill - wasting away from loneliness.

And so the years passed, and 5 companions did the merchant bury in the Cities of Dust - all grieved his absence so. When he sought to Companion a young lady of means after the festival of En`Kara, she was cautioned against this move by her kinsmen, who feared greatly for her health and well-being, knowing of the merchant's reputation. But this determined young free woman had taken one look at the merchant and had felt her heart soar for him; and knew she would not be like the others. She agreed to the Companionship, and that night the two drank the wine.

The very next morning the merchant sailed off to faraway Torvaldsland - and the lady set off to the market, in search of rence.

It took the combined efforts of 3 strong kajiri to carry the bales of rence back to the Homestone. Three days and three nights did the free woman sit and sew, until at last - after dressing it in the fineries of her companion; his best robes and trousers; slippers and vestments; there sat on the furs before her - a rence companion!

The weeks passed, and the lady spent her lonely nights talking to the rence companion... spoke to him of her childhood... her hopes... her dreams... her fears. She laughed and spoke of her distaste for spiders... her love of music and art... her longing for her family... and so her time passed pleasantly. The days were occupied with the running of the household, and the nights with speaking to the rence companion.

When her merchant companion returned from his voyage to find her hale, hearty, and in good spirits, he immediately grew suspicious and called his men to spy on her while next he was away!

The merchant set sail once again for a trip of several months, and returned to find his free companion in continued robust health. Furious, he summoned his men, and demanded to know what they had learned. "She must have a Lover," he exclaimed. "How else would that explain her not passing on from dreaded loneliness like all the others??" His men were baffled, for they had seen nor heard anything even remotely suspect from the Lady's private quarters.

Finally, one night, one of the men sat up the whole night long with his ear pressed to the door of the free woman's inner chamber. He heard her speaking... laughing... humming... and chattering away gaily, but heard no male voice in responsa. Puzzled, he held his peace until the merchant returned and then spoke to him of his findings. Irate, the merchant burst into his companion's chamber, to find her sitting placidly upon the furs, addressing a man made entirely of rence, and dressed in his very own fineries!

Without hesitation, the merchant unsheathed his dagger and plunged it into the heart of the rence companion. His lady screamed in anguish as blood began to pour out of the rence wound. She launched herself onto her husband and tearfully exclaimed, "Oh that you would not destroy the very thing keeping me alive!" The merchant reared back in shock, seeing that the very object he attacked was nothing other than a figure made of rence - and yet blood seeped from it as if a man!

He paled. "But how is this possible..." he stammered, "It is...but rence!"

Sobbing, the lady moaned her grief. "I poured out my very soul into this rence Companion while you were away - and by talking to it and sharing what was in my heart, I remained content. And now you have killed my heart!" And with those words she sank to the floor, inconsolable with grief.

The merchant immediately became contrite - so impressed was he with his clever companion, and so filled with remorse at suspecting she would take a Lover. He immediately flung himself to one knee before her and begged her forgiveness.

The Lady had loved the merchant from the very ihn she had set eyes on him; and thus, forgave him entirely. He loved her well, and never left her side thereafter. She bore him many strong sons, and had no need further for the rence companion.